Caitlin Ostroff
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ceostroff.bsky.social
Caitlin Ostroff
@ceostroff.bsky.social
4.2K followers 510 following 20 posts
Data reporter following the money for @wsj.com using words, numbers and code. Co-founder @journalismmentors.bsky.social. Tips? https://github.com/ceostroff/contact
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ceostroff.bsky.social
Caitlin Ostroff @ceostroff.bsky.social · Nov 14
👋 Introducing myself for Bluesky: I'm a data reporter for The Wall Street Journal. What does that mean? I'm interested in information whether from the Internet, FOIA, leaked data, etc to make sense of the world. I focus mostly on politics and crypto. Drop me tips: github.com/ceostroff/co...
GitHub - ceostroff/contact: Secure contact info for Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ
Secure contact info for Caitlin Ostroff, WSJ. Contribute to ceostroff/contact development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
ceostroff.bsky.social
The @wsj.com is growing its visual investigations team. Come work with me!
dowjones.jobs/new-york-ny/...
Dow Jones breaks stories, influences ideas, advances business intelligence and cultural interest, exposes the events that turn markets, the breakthroughs that transform art and drives invention.
dowjones.jobs
October 28, 2025 at 4:27 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
It's been a minute since I cleaned the same dataset from dozens of states and I forgot how...varied they can be. #PartyLikeADataJournalist
September 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
johnwest.bsky.social
Toxic fumes are leaking Into airplanes, sickening crews and passengers. The problem is getting worse and not much is being done about it.

From Ben Katz, me, and @andrewtangel.bsky.social for @wsj.com.

🔓 www.wsj.com/business/air...
Text of the article, reading: > The Journal’s reporting—based on a review of more than one million FAA and National Aeronautics and Space Administration reports, thousands of pages of documents and research papers and more than 100 interviews—shows that aircraft manufacturers and their airline customers have played down health risks, successfully lobbied against safety measures, and made cost-saving changes that increased the risks to crew and passengers. > The fumes—sometimes described as smelling of “wet dog,” “Cheetos” or “nail polish”—have led to emergency landings, sickened passengers and affected pilots’ vision and reaction times midflight, according to official reports. > Most odors in aircraft aren’t toxic, and neither are all vapors. The effects are often fleeting, mild or present no symptoms. > But they can also be longer-lasting and severe, according to doctors, medical records and affected crew members.
September 14, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
johnwest.bsky.social
Over @wsj.com, my colleagues Sara Randazzo, @ceostroff.bsky.social, and Shane Shifflett have a deep, fascinating look at how researchers are amending grant language to keep federal funding and avoid getting flagged in the Trump administration’s push against "DEI." www.wsj.com/health/scien...
An excerpt from the article: Scientists are removing words like “diverse” and “disparities” from hundreds of federal grant renewals to avoid getting flagged in the Trump administration’s focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a Wall Street Journal analysis shows. At least 600 research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health have been modified in the fiscal year starting in October to remove terms associated with diversity, equity and inclusion, the Journal analysis found. Nearly all of those projects were multiyear grants that had already been approved but were up for routine annual reviews. The modified grants were worth $480 million this cycle. The most frequently deleted term was “diverse,” removed in 300 instances, followed by “underrepresented.” In some cases, scientists are yanking words that aren’t DEI-related at all, but could be flagged as such, including references to “discrimination” of antibodies in transplant patients. Other changes researchers are making are more substantive, shifting the scope of projects. Scientists caution that research on medical issues affecting minority communities is being de-emphasized. Some grants up for routine yearly renewals sat in limbo until scientists submitted the revisions. Funding delays at times led to layoffs and disrupted ongoing research.
August 23, 2025 at 6:45 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
Epstein was discussed by prominent right-wing podcasters in more than 3,000 episodes across nearly 125 podcasts this year, a @wsj.com analysis found. Those conversations grew more than eightfold in the last 3 weeks despite Trump’s admonishment that MAGA drop the issue.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
How the Epstein Scandal Fractured Trump’s Relationship With MAGA
A Wall Street Journal analysis of thousands of podcast transcripts shows the conservative conversation on Epstein has swelled in recent weeks.
www.wsj.com
July 30, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
jeffhorwitz.bsky.social
With Meta out there banging on the "snitches get stitches" drum, seemed like a good time to lay out my best guidance for tech industry employees who feel a need to speak up. Below are a few notes:

www.theverge.com/labor/621059...
Meta fires 20 employees for leaking
The company announced the firings after a string of leaks about CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s internal comments.
www.theverge.com
February 27, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
ire.org
IRE is offering a new member benefit for our 50th anniversary and spring member drive!

Join or renew your membership by April 28 to receive a 50% discounted subscription to DeleteMe.

The service works to remove personal data online and ensure digital safety. www.ire.org/discount-on-...
Join IRE now and get a discount on digital security services - Investigative Reporters & Editors
Join or renew your IRE membership by April 28, 2025 to receive a 50% discounted subscription to DeleteMe services.
www.ire.org
March 31, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
robbarry.bsky.social
Representatives of President Trump’s family have held talks to take a financial stake in the U.S. arm of crypto exchange Binance, according to people familiar with the matter www.wsj.com/finance/curr... by @ceostroff.bsky.social et al
Exclusive | Trump Family Has Held Deal Talks With Binance Following Crypto Exchange’s Guilty Plea
The discussions for a stake in Binance’s U.S. arm come as founder Changpeng Zhao has pushed for the administration to pardon him for his own 2023 guilty plea.
www.wsj.com
March 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
Slides to our session are available at bit.ly/nicar25-cryptocurrency #NICAR25
March 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
Have questions about crypto, why it's suddenly in the news and how to track it using data? @jeremybmerrill.com and I have (at least some) answers. Come to our panel at 2:15! #NICAR25
schedules.ire.org/nicar-2025/i...
NICAR 2025 schedule | March 6-9, 2025 | Minneapolis
Welcome to the #NICAR25 conference schedule!
schedules.ire.org
March 7, 2025 at 5:41 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
The Journal is hiring for a data reporter. Come work with me!
wsj.jobs/new-york-ny/...
Dow Jones breaks stories, influences ideas, advances business intelligence and cultural interest, exposes the events that turn markets, the breakthroughs that transform art and drives invention.
wsj.jobs
February 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
johnwest.bsky.social
My colleagues, @ceostroff.bsky.social, Shane Shifflett, and James Benedict have a fantastic look at DOGE's savings claims: "A WSJ analysis of government data found that many claims of savings were overstated and ‘woke’ cuts were only a tiny fraction of the total." www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
While DOGE hasn’t offered details about all of the stated savings, it has posted a list of more than 1,100 canceled contracts to its website. As of Friday, it said the savings from these contracts amounted to about $7 billion. The Journal analysis projects the actual savings could be closer to $2.6 billion over the next year if spending levels remained constant—and about 2% of the funds would have gone to contracts related to DEI. Research-focused agencies were among the top targets for cuts, including the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, where DOGE terminated contracts costing the government more than $900 million last year. DOGE terminated more than 60 Health and Human Services contracts including a clinical evaluation of an Alzheimer’s and traumatic brain injury drug and a study of smokers with chronic lung disease. DOGE described these as “administrative expenses.”
February 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
ceostroff.bsky.social
New year, new @journalismmentors.bsky.social website. @adrianalacy.com and I revamped our *free* journalism mentorship platform for students, young professionals, pros, etc.

Want a mentor? journalismmentors.com/media-mentors/
Want to be a mentor?
adrianalacyconsulting.typeform.com/to/ULcCOEqv?...
Media Mentor Archive - Journalism Mentors
journalismmentors.com
January 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
New year, new @journalismmentors.bsky.social website. @adrianalacy.com and I revamped our *free* journalism mentorship platform for students, young professionals, pros, etc.

Want a mentor? journalismmentors.com/media-mentors/
Want to be a mentor?
adrianalacyconsulting.typeform.com/to/ULcCOEqv?...
Media Mentor Archive - Journalism Mentors
journalismmentors.com
January 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
anthonydb.bsky.social
To support students, career-switchers and others who want to add SQL to their data analysis skillsets in 2025, I'm providing three free copies of my book, "Practical SQL." To enter a drawing for one of the free copies, please provide all the information below!

forms.gle/ge4ySHjHZbZp...
December 26, 2024 at 7:55 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
The article, since removed, featured a key CoinDesk sponsor and a $6 million banana. w/Justin Baer and Vicky Huang
www.wsj.com/finance/coin...
CoinDesk Dismisses Top Editors After Story Draws Crypto Executive’s Ire
The article, since removed, featured a key CoinDesk sponsor and a $6 million banana.
www.wsj.com
December 20, 2024 at 10:15 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
Evan’s name is back in the @wsj.com in the exact spot it should be—a byline.

w/Drew Hinshaw, Joe Parkinson and Thomas Grove
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
December 13, 2024 at 2:01 PM
ceostroff.bsky.social
In 2019, Mangione uploaded handwritten notes to his Goodreads account (since made private) that said he had spondylolisthesis, a condition when one of the bones in the spine moves and puts pressure on the vertebra below, causing back pain.

My latest
www.wsj.com/us-news/luig...
UnitedHealth Murder Suspect Fights Extradition to New York
Judge denies bail for Luigi Mangione, who was caught in Pennsylvania after evading police for days.
www.wsj.com
December 11, 2024 at 1:21 AM
ceostroff.bsky.social
I just refilled the jar with fresh Reese's earlier, too.

But seriously the WSJ data team is great. Happy to answer questions about The Journal, the team, etc.
robbarry.bsky.social Rob Barry @robbarry.bsky.social · Dec 10
The WSJ is looking for a statistically minded journalist who can spot clever natural experiments and explain what really makes the world tick. $145K-165K in NYC. Apply by Dec 20. It comes with some pretty sweet perks (like @ceostroff.bsky.social's candy jar) wsj.jobs/new-york-ny/...
Senior Data Journalist in NEW YORK, New York, United States
wsj.jobs
December 10, 2024 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
jseldin-news.bsky.social
FBI renewing call for info that could lead to the safe return of Austin Tice "given recent events in Syria"

"We are still offering a reward of up to $1 million for information that leads to Austin’s safe return" per statement

Tice was kidnapped in Damascus in August 2012
December 9, 2024 at 12:06 AM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
robbarry.bsky.social
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Private insurers collected billions for veterans' healthcare, while the VA delivered it, by @mcgint.bsky.social and crew. www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Insurers Collected Billions From Medicare for Veterans Who Cost Them Almost Nothing
Taxpayers paid for their care at the VA—and for Medicare Advantage coverage that many didn’t use. ‘I don’t think I’ve used my Medicare in years,’ said one Air Force veteran.
www.wsj.com
December 3, 2024 at 2:34 AM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
dustinvolz.bsky.social
Grateful for so much this year but at the top of my list: Evan Gershkovich is free.

Thank you to the many who worked to make it happen this year.
November 29, 2024 at 12:32 AM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
simonwillison.net
Foursquare just open sourced their 100 million place point of interest dataset! Some notes on poking around with it using DuckDB (it's Parquet files on S3) simonwillison.net/2024/Nov/20/...
Foursquare Open Source Places: A new foundational dataset for the geospatial community
I did not expect this! > [...] we are announcing today the general availability of a foundational open data set, Foursquare Open Source Places ("FSQ OS Places"). This base layer …
simonwillison.net
November 20, 2024 at 6:08 AM
Reposted by Caitlin Ostroff
jonkeegan.com
“Our investigation uncovered 38,474 location signals from up to 189 devices inside Büchel Air Base, a high-security German installation where as many as 15 US nuclear weapons are reportedly stored in underground bunkers.” By @dell.bsky.social @dmehro.bsky.social

www.wired.com/story/phone-...
Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany
More than 3 billion phone coordinates collected by a US data broker expose the detailed movements of US military and intelligence workers in Germany—and the Pentagon is powerless to stop it.
www.wired.com
November 20, 2024 at 4:18 AM
ceostroff.bsky.social
The MAGA surrogate and powerful adviser to the president-elect is joining venture-capital firm 1789 to invest in companies espousing conservative values, bringing new attention to a financial movement that hasn’t taken off

My latest w/Peter Rudegeair and Alex Leary
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
Donald Trump Jr. Goes All-In on the Anti-Woke Economy
The MAGA surrogate and powerful adviser to the president-elect is joining venture-capital firm 1789 to invest in companies espousing conservative values, bringing new attention to a financial movement...
www.wsj.com
November 19, 2024 at 2:47 PM